


Sealed with a Kiss

by Tarlan



Category: Blood Ties (TV)
Genre: Community: smallfandomfest, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-28
Packaged: 2017-11-27 07:18:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/659331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry had never forgotten the scent and taste of Mike Celluci.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sealed with a Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SmallFandomFest FEST12 2012-13

The taste of the blood on his lips was like sweet nectar or the finest wine and Henry savored it, eyes closed in pleasure. After three long years he had never forgotten the taste of this man, quickly discovering that every other drink paled in comparison. Yet he had hidden this knowledge while they continued to work together on Vicki's strange cases, too aware of the many times when their arguments became a little more heated that it was the tantalizing smell of this man's blood that fanned the flames.

Just one drink taken years ago out of desperation, while half-starved by Mendoza. That was all it had taken to bond himself to Michael Celluci, and though he had tried to deny the attraction, it had haunted him ever since. He had run only as far as Seattle eventually, leaving the Toronto territory to another of his kind, and he had never expected to see Vicki - or Celluci - again in their lifetime.

Henry had always underestimated Celluci, seeing him as an extension to Vicki rather than as a police detective who had earned his badge through hard work and attention to detail. Celluci had tracked him down through the one thing Henry had not been able to give up when he took on a new life in a new city - his love of graphic art. Perhaps it was because he had never expected either Celluci or Vicki to come searching for him that he had lowered his guard, or perhaps that inner part of him had hoped they would seek him out. Either way, he should not have been surprised to find Celluci standing outside the door to his new penthouse suite in Seattle when he checked the security feed to see who was there.

He had debated at first whether to let the man in but if there was one trait that he and Celluci had in common, it was stubbornness. Celluci was a cop who had spent days on surveillance, living out of a car while he watched his target, and Henry knew he could easily spend days camped out in his hallway. Of course, Henry could call the police or a get a restraining order against Celluci but that would take him out of the comfort of his safe but shady, underworld existence. Henry could not afford to have his unique DNA signature attached to an image of him in some police database even though he had not taken a human life in centuries.

Mendoza didn't count as he was barely human even during the Inquisition and before he found the iluminación del sol device; a monster in human form who was responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people.

Sighing, Henry had opened the door and stood back, allowing Celluci to enter his home. Closing the door securely behind him, he had turned to watch Celluci size up his new apartment. Celluci moved to the sword on its display stand, enclosed in strong glass, glancing over his shoulder at Henry with a smirk but Henry had learned his lesson about leaving weapons lying around after being skewered with his own sword.

Biting back on the demand to know why Celluci was here, he waited with seeming patience as Celluci made his way over to Henry's work area to cast a critical eye over Henry's latest piece.

"You had me torn to pieces by werewolves in the last graphic novel," he stated in an offhand manner before looking back at Henry. "How do I get it this time?"

"Zombies. They're all the rage."

"Zombies." Celluci nodded and smiled. "Let me guess. I either get ripped to shreds and eaten, or I turn into one and Warrior Princess Vicki look-a-like takes my head off."

Henry smiled. "With a suitable tear in her eye as she swings the sword," Henry bantered back.

Celluci grinned outright this time, and it was only then that Henry recognized the difference in the air around them. The animosity was gone now that Vicki wasn't standing between them, and though the thought of asking after her was hovering on the tip of his tongue, Henry liked this strange truce. He liked the easy companionship of Celluci knowing exactly who and what he was, and accepting it all without fear or loathing. To Celluci - to Mike - he wasn't some dark creature of the night who feasted on human blood, swooping down and tearing into his victims in savage and brutal attacks. Nor was he Henry, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, and a man to be treated with humble submission and respect.

To Mike, he was simply Henry Fitzroy - royal pain in the ass.

Mike wandered over to the sitting area and sank onto the long couch made of butter-soft, deep brown leather.

"Don't suppose you have any food in this place."

"Other than you?" Henry quipped back and saw Mike's eyes narrow in speculation but not in fear. Henry sighed again. "I can order in something." It really wasn't much of a hardship and actually worked in his favor to build a 'human' cover.

"Chinese."

With a shake of his head, Henry picked up the phone and called the concierge desk many floors below to ask him to place an order on his behalf, enjoying the way Mike's eyebrows rose in admiration as Henry recalled Mike's favorite dishes. Mike waited until he replaced the phone.

"I didn't think you would pay that much attention to human food."

"I don't... but I paid attention to what _you_ liked." He almost mentioned Vicki and Coreen. "Why are you here?"

Mike stared at him for a moment, and Henry could imagine a dozen different answers swirling around his head but Mike had rarely shied away from the hard truth. It was one of the reasons why he had grown to respect this man despite the way they had clashed over Vicki.

"Because my life is too short to live with regrets."

By now Henry was seated beside him on the couch and though he possessed supernatural speed, he remained motionless as Mike reached out tentatively to touch his face with gentle fingertips. He leaned in a fraction and Henry met him the rest of the way. The scent of this man, of the blood flowing through his veins was intoxicating, and Henry couldn't resist sliding his lips to the pulse point on Mike's throat, kissing before biting down softly, enough to break the skin and taste two fat droplets of blood.

The taste of the blood on his lips was like sweet nectar or the finest wine and Henry savored it, eyes closed in pleasure. And now that he had tasted him again, Henry wasn't certain if he could ever let Mike go again.

END


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